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Thousands in Serbia turn New Year’s celebration into anti-government protest

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Thousands in Serbia turn New Year’s celebration into anti-government protest
January 1, 2025
Article Body Text BELGRADE, SERBIA — Instead of the traditional boisterous street partying on New Year's Eve, tens of thousands of protesters led by university students gathered overnight in Belgrade and other Serbian cities to demand political reforms and justice in the Balkan country. The protesters have been actively demonstrating following the tragic collapse of a concrete canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad's central train station on Nov. 1, which resulted in 15 deaths. The tragedy has been attributed to corruption and substandard construction practices by the populist Serbian leadership, leading to a widespread public outcry and demands for accountability. Students from various Belgrade universities have organized the protest under the slogan "There is No New Year — You Still Owe Us for the Old One." The loud crowd, chanting "We Want Justice," went silent at 11:52 p.m. with 15 minutes to honor the victims of the Novi Sad tragedy. Many were holding banners with a red handprint, which has become a symbol of the antigovernment protests, telling the authorities that they have blood on their hands. Earlier, they marched past a state-sponsored concert where the crowd danced to folk music tunes. Police guarded the area where the concert was taking place and set up metal fences while directing the protesting crowd to other streets nearby to avoid contact between the two groups. The antigovernment protesters emphasized that, despite the festive season, their commitment to seeking justice remains unwavering. The student-led movement has garnered support from various societal groups, including professors, farmers and actors, reflecting broader discontent with autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic's leadership. Thousands of people also gathered in Novi Sad and the southern city of Nis for parallel gatherings also led by university students in those cities. In Belgrade, state-sponsored concerts and other New Year’s celebrations were organized in the city center and in a newly built high-rise Belgrade Waterfront neighborhood, which Vucic has claimed is his own project together with the United Arab Emirates investors. Belgrade has become a favorite partying destination for tourists on New Year's Eve, with street partying and huge fireworks. The crowds in Belgrade braved very cold weather and fog to join the students. The New Year's Eve protest comes just more than a week after tens of thousands rallied together with the students in what was one of the biggest gatherings in recent years in the Serbian capital. Serbia's public prosecutor on Monday indicted 13 people, including a former minister, over the collapse of the concrete canopy. The protesters say that is not enough as the indictment does not include charges of possible corrupt deals during a renovation of the Novi Sad train station that was part of a wider deal with Chinese companies. Vucic earlier told pro-government Prva TV that all student demands have been fulfilled. "I have always been ready to talk, I am asking them now but they won't talk to me, they have no arguments, the prosecutors fulfilled the last of their demands, all documents they wanted have been published and nothing happened," Vucic said, adding he won't be toppled by street protests.
Content Type Text
Language English
NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
Network VOA
Embargo Date December 31, 2024 22:15 EST
Byline Associated Press
Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English